Teino Evans, Staff Reporter

Sizzla and Sanchez will be featured acts at Reggae Campfire. - file photos

The torch for Reggae Campfire 2007 was lit on Tuesday when the event was officially launched at the Kabana Restaurant and Garden Bar, 12 Hope Road.

MC Rosie Murray got things started with a brief history of how the once small 'fire' started and how it spread like 'wildfire' to shape into this major annual stage show that thousands look forward to on New Year's Eve.

"First started as a community based festival in the hills of Polly Ground, St. Catherine, Reggae Campfire became one of the most celebrated and anticipated reggae shows after many years of successful gatherings around a big bonfire on New Year's Eve," she said.

Guinness, who are title sponsors for this year's event, are proud to have improved their status with the event. as their representative, Joseph Oates, said, "last year we were a major sponsor, but this year we are the title sponsors."

According to Oates, "Guinness is proud to be associated with this staple event that has grown into this annual big event on New Year's Eve. Now, everything that Guinness is involved with we put our spin on it, so like we will be having our regular bucket deals and promoting our 'Think Responsibly, Drink Responsibly' theme which we do at all our sponsored events now."

Reggae Camp Fire, which is now in its fourth staging, will be held at the Windalco Sports Complex, Ewarton, St. Catherine on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2007.

Among the featured acts are, Sizzla, Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Tarrus Riley, Morgan Heritage, Anthony B, Sanchez, Queen Ifrica, L.U.S.T, Turbulence, Chuck Fender , Etana and others.

At the launch, there were performances by One Third, Hero, Q and others.

According to Andrew Prendergast of Campfire Productions, with the improvements in traffic control, parking, ticketing and the usual professional staffing, Campfire 2K7 will be bigger, hotter and better.